Horticultural articles

Sowing beetroot commercially Sowing beetroot is a practice used by commercial farmers. They are not planted with seedlings. Once the seed is cleaned and salts removed they are ready for sowing. In most cases a seed planter is used since commercial growers can plant 50 ha or more, especially for ...
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Beetroot¹⁾By Downtowngal [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons seed treatment is mostly done by commercial seed companies. There are instances where local seed can be harvested. In this case it is important to understand why it must be washed so that low stands can be avoided. Beetroot seed appears ...
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Pigeon pea climatic requirements The pigeon pea is susceptible to frost damage at all stages of growth.. The most favourable temperature range is between 18-29°C (64-85°F).  For best seed yields bright sunshine is essential. excessive cloud or shade produces spindly growth and poor seed set. There are short day, day ...
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Beetroot is not grown by many farmers. Mainly because the demand is not that great and commercial companies have the market share. A large portion of the beetroot sold is processed and bottled. A small portion is sold as fresh. This does not mean there are not opportunities. The advantage ...
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Okra is not well known in South Africa. Actually its not very well known except maybe in Turkey, India and Asian countries (but they use a different variety). Okra has various popular names such as Gumbo and Lady's Finger. Chinese Okra is something totally different, Luffa acutangula, family Cucurbitaceae. The Okra we ...
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Soil compaction²⁾Featured Image obtained from: Photos Public Domain; Dirt is a problem that all growers face. There are a huge variety of equipment for soil preparation, but the primary tillage implements are mouldboard ploughs, large discs and chisel ploughs. The mouldboard and large disc ploughs tend to produce a ...
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Nutritional value of pigeon peas can vary considerably, as with any crop. Climate, growth stage, plant part, fertilizer application are but a few variables that can affect the nutrient content of a pigeon pea analysis. The table below should just be used as a general guideline. The total protein, fat ...
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Soil preparation has a significant influence on yield and quality of the crop. Unfortunately equipment and tractors not only cost a lot but are expensive to maintain. In most cases it is more economical to hire someone to do the ploughing with better equipment that what you can afford. If ...
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Tomato fertilizer requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do not take ...
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Green pea soil preparation Achieving good yields green pea soil preparation is the first step for any grower. The soil must be well drained as green peas are very sensitive to waterlogged conditions. Make sure that the water table of the underground water is not closer to the surface than ...
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